Q.Muscles are connected to bones by

The human skeletal system is the body's internal framework, and the chapter describes it as an amalgamation of four kinds of structures working together: bones, cartilage, tendons and ligaments.

Bones are the rigid part of the skeleton, giving the body support — and their shape is tuned to their job: the metacarpals and phalanges of the hand, for example, are shaped so the hand can close into a fist, while a long bone like the femur is built to bear weight and transmit force.

Cartilage is more flexible than bone, and gives shape and flexibility where some give is needed rather than rigidity — it shapes the ear and the nose, and lets the chest expand and contract during breathing.

Tendons and ligaments are both strong, fibrous bands of connective tissue, but they connect different things: a tendon connects muscle to bone (so a muscle's contraction can pull on a bone), while a ligament connects one bone to another (holding a joint together).

A human body actually starts with around 300 bones at birth, which is MORE than the 206 bones of a full-grown adult — several of these bones (for example in the skull and the spine) fuse together as a person grows, reducing the count. A joint, in this framework, is simply the point where two or more bones meet in a way that permits movement.